86% of the respondents are aware of the incident. 55% believe that the professional athletes are responsible for what happened.

According to the All-Russia Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM), more than half of Russian people who are aware of the incidents involving the footballers Aleksander Kokorin and Pavel Mamayev believe they are the perpetrators of what happened, reports RBC.

According to the survey, 86% of the respondents are aware of the scuffles at Pekin hotel and Coffemania restaurant in Moscow on October 8. 48% of the respondents (55% of those who are aware of the incident) consider Kokorin and Mamayev perpetrators of the incident, while 24% of the respondents (26% of those who are aware of the incident) believe that all participants of the incident are equally responsible for what happened. Only 3% believe that there was no scuffle, at all, and the footballers are being belied.

The pollsters also asked about a potential measure of restraint for Kokorin and Mamayev - with respondents obtaining an option of giving up to three replies. 23% of the respondents believe that the footballers should be punished within the confines of the law. 13% believe that they should be punished, however they were undecided as to the measure of restraint. 9% suggested a fine and suspension as a measure of restraint.

7% said a restraint of liberty is a fitting punishment. 4% voted for the highest possible sentence. 3% - for a correctional labor and administrative punishment. 2% - for a lenient punishment or suspended sentence. 1% - for a compensation to the victim, and another 1% - for an exemplary punishment or high income deprivation. 6% (56% of those who believe there was no scuffle, at all, and 47% of those who assume that all participants of the incident are equally responsible for what happened) raised their voice against punishment. 23% of the respondents were undecided, 2% gave other replies.

It became known earlier that FC Krasnodar was exploring the possibility of terminating Mamayev’s deal. FC Zenit said that Kokorin’s actions were “disgusting.” More than half of the respondents backed the idea of Mamaev’s dismissal. 23% do not agree with this decision. 53% said that Kokorin should be dismissed by FC Zenit, while 26% did not support this idea.

Director General of VTsIOM FundKonstantin Abramov believes that the significant number of respondents who said that the football players are fully responsible for the incident is explained by the fact that arguments of all parties have not been voiced in court, so far. “Many of Russian are waiting for the court’s decision, however many of them say that that the footballers are guilty, and their actions were captured by CCTV. Who else is responsible? Their friends who also took part in the scuffle? May be, the victims? So far, the respondents are undecided. Generally speaking, Russians are ready to accept the fact that everyone should be justly punished. ” Abramov said.

The survey took place on October 12, 2018, among 1600 citizens of Russian of age - via a telephone interview by random drawing of landline and mobile phone numbers. The data were evaluated as to probability for selection and by socio-demographic parameters. The highest mistake level does not exceed 2.5% with a probability of 95%.